Peanut Butter Fingershttp://www.pbfingers.com
Living a Life Fueled by Healthy Food and FitnessTue, 03 Mar 2015 13:09:02 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes…http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/03/03/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage-then-comes/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/03/03/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage-then-comes/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 12:05:22 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61475I am so, so thrilled to share this special news with all of you today! Ryan and I are expecting a little one this August. I am 17 weeks pregnant right now (our due date is August 10) and we could not be more thrilled!!!]]>

I am so, so thrilled to share this special news with all of you today!

Ryan and I are expecting a little one this August. I am 17 weeks pregnant right now (our due date is August 10) and we could not be more thrilled!!!

]]>http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/03/03/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage-then-comes/feed/549PBF Top 15 in 2015: Februaryhttp://www.pbfingers.com/2015/03/02/pbf-top-15-in-2015-february/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/03/02/pbf-top-15-in-2015-february/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 12:18:00 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61517Hello, hello! At the end of 2014, I continued with a mini series I began a few years ago and featured the top posts of the year on PBF. Beginning last month, decided to continue the series for the duration of 2015 and highlight the top 15 posts from each month on the blog at...

Hello, hello! At the end of 2014, I continued with a mini series I began a few years ago and featured the top posts of the year on PBF. Beginning last month, decided to continue the series for the duration of 2015 and highlight the top 15 posts from each month on the blog at the end of every month. (That post was actually one of my most popular posts from the month of February. Crazy, huh!?) These are not necessarily the top new posts I publish each month, as throwback posts from several years ago always seem to pop up and claim top spots each month which makes me both smile and scratch my head (especially when it’s an old horribly photographed post from 2009 or 2010)!

Here are your most popular PBF posts (according to pageviews) from the month of February, divided into three categories: Recipes, Fitness and Extras. (Note: This series does not include any giveaways or Things I’m Loving Friday posts.)

The number one recipe this month went to this decadent chocolate cake! I can understand why because it’s bursting with fudgy flavor and is 10,000 times more moist than gluten-free chocolate cakes I’ve tried in the past. If you decide to give it a try, don’t skip the homemade icing… It’s the best part. (But I am definitely on “team icing” and not “team cake” so take that into account. Icing = The reason why I eat cake!)

Back in October of last year, I featured this ridiculously easy recipe on the blog and it’s been a popular one ever since. The recipe includes a tasty marinade that can be used for everything from chicken and pork to shrimp and grouper. It’s easy to throw together in the morning and requires ingredients you likely already have at home!

Hoooow did this recipe claim a top spot this month!? I laughed when I saw this throwback recipe from 2010 pop up as one of the most popular recipes this month and can only think it must’ve gained some traction on Pinterest or something. The photography is horrible, but the recipe is a winner, so at least there’s that!

This 32-minute workout targets the whole body and allows you to pick and choose which exercises you want to do in which order. I love this style of work out because it allows me to get the exercises I don’t like as much (I’m looking at you, mountain climbers) out of the way first!

I created this workout when I was vacationing in Florida last month and after my sister and I ran through the whole thing, she asked me to write it down for her so she could go through it again in the future. I decided to share it on the blog for anyone who might be interested in pairing sweaty cardio with challenging upper body exercises.

If you’re looking for a 30-minute workout to complete at the gym or at home, look no further! This post features a treadmill workout, an elliptical workout, a total body burner and an at home circuit workout all in one spot.

This blog post was a fun one to put together and it doesn’t just apply to Valentine’s Day! You can find lots of fun gift ideas for loved ones that you can use on anniversaries or other special occasions in this post as well.

Traveling to Sarasota last month to celebrate my beautiful friend Leah’s baby shower was such a blast. I loved seeing some of my very best girlfriends from college and sharing the experience with you guys once I returned home.

I typed up this blog post early last year and had a great time brainstorming unique bridesmaid gift ideas! I included both gift ideas I used for my own wedding and gift ideas I had in the back of my mind from the times I’ve been fortunate enough to stand beside a bride on her special day and receive something incredibly thoughtful.

This blog post was a reader request (from multiple readers!) and I’m happy it ended up going over well on the blog. I love sharing blog-related tips and tricks with you guys, so please don’t hesitate to let me know of any additional tutorials/how-to posts you’d like to see in the future!

]]>http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/03/02/pbf-top-15-in-2015-february/feed/41Things I’m Loving Friday #74http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/27/things-im-loving-friday-74/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/27/things-im-loving-friday-74/#commentsFri, 27 Feb 2015 14:19:51 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61460After a super-quick trip to Raleigh, I’m back in Charlotte, ready to teach a PiYo class this morning! Seeing my aunt, uncle, grandma, mom and cousins was such a treat and even though my visit was a short one, I’m so glad I made the trip and hope to see everyone again soon! Tomorrow I...

After a super-quick trip to Raleigh, I’m back in Charlotte, ready to teach a PiYo class this morning! Seeing my aunt, uncle, grandma, mom and cousins was such a treat and even though my visit was a short one, I’m so glad I made the trip and hope to see everyone again soon!

Tomorrow I am off to Chicago for a weekend with some of my very best girlfriends! We go way back to elementary school and I cannot wait to see them and meet my friend Leah’s baby boy for the first time!

The anticipation of seeing some of my best friends is obviously the thing I’m loving most right now, but let’s dive right into your usual Things I’m Loving Friday post and chat about a bunch of things we’re loving this week! As usual, please feel free to chime in below in the comments section.

This cloth is amazing!!! My sister and my mom swear by it and earlier this month, I started using the cloth and walked away so incredibly impressed with its makeup removing abilities. I used to wash my face with face wash or an exfoliator and always felt like I got my face pretty darn clean until I used this cloth that always picks up makeup I would’ve left behind. Bonus? It’s less than $10 and when you wash it, the fluffy white cloth comes out looking brand new every single time. (Note: The box says the cloth takes off your makeup with just water, but I still like to use my usual face wash it and simply use the cloth to dry my face/remove any remaining makeup.)

KIND Bars

During our trip to Sanibel two weeks ago, I snacked on my fair share of KIND bars since we had a bunch on hand at the condo for an easy grab-and-go beach snack. Well, I ended up falling in love with a new-to-me flavor: Dark Chocolate Nuts & Seat Salt. (Notice this flavor is not featured in the above pic because they don’t last long in our house.) My previous favorite, the Almond & Coconut bar, has now been relegated to second place, but it’s still very tasty!

I prepped this recipe last night when I arrived home from Raleigh and was so happy to wake up to a breakfast that was ready to eat when I woke up this morning. It’s so easy to throw together and a great dairy free overnight oats option for those who cannot/do not want to eat dairy.

This cute and trendy pullover came in my February Fabletics delivery and I’ve been wearing it non-stop ever since. It’s lightweight but still cozy and the mesh top + cut outs on the back make it so unique. (FYI – It’s also available in gray and is quite affordable!) And while we’re on the topic of comfy clothes, Janae has me convinced I need these real-pants-that-are-actually-sweatpants in my life. I’m just not sure I can pull them off like she can, but it’s worth a try since my all leggings all the time look is getting a little old. Looks like a trip to GAP is in my near future…

Sour Patch Kids Redberry Gum

I used to chew a ton of gum. I still absolutely love gum, but when I realized I was chewing an excessive number of pieces of gum a day, I stopped buying gum for a while to break the habit. Now I’ll still pick up a pack of gum somewhat regularly but a pack will now last me longer than a day or two, which I consider a small victory. I still get awfully excited when I see new fun gum flavors pop up on the market and when I saw Sour Patch Kids redberry gum for sale at the grocery store check out aisle, I had to buy a pack. Though it obviously doesn’t replace real Sour Patch Kids, I do love the sweet punch of flavor I get from each piece. It’s pretty darn good!

]]>http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/27/things-im-loving-friday-74/feed/68Four 30-Minute Workoutshttp://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/26/four-30-minute-workouts/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/26/four-30-minute-workouts/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 20:35:25 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61420This post is sponsored by HP and Collectively. It features four new workouts I hope you love! Four new workouts are coming your way today! Get ready to get sweaty! HP x360 A few weeks ago I received an email from Collectively inviting me to apply for a campaign centered around the new HP x360,...

This post is sponsored by HP and Collectively. It features four new workouts I hope you love!

Four new workouts are coming your way today!

Get ready to get sweaty!

HP x360

A few weeks ago I received an email from Collectively inviting me to apply for a campaign centered around the new HP x360, a computer with four modes: Laptop, tablet, tent and stand.

As you may remember, my laptop was causing me serious headaches a few weeks ago and eventually died one day. I used Ryan’s old laptop when I was traveling to Sanibel and Minnesota and I remembered why that computer is the “backup” in our house. Aside from the battery lasting all of 10 minutes when unplugged, the computer randomly shuts down and freezes all the time, which obviously made blogging a real treat when I was traveling.

The HP x360 laptop arrived at the perfect time and I arrived home to Minnesota so thrilled to break into the box and test out my new laptop. Set up was a breeze and I have been so, so impressed with the computers incredible battery life and functionality – I’ve never seen a computer that works as a tablet, too, let alone converts into four different modes!

I use the tablet at home a lot when I just want to browse around the internet, the laptop mode is obviously the one I use the most since I work from my computer every single day and the tent/stand mode is great for streaming videos, following recipes online when I’m cooking, etc. Love all of them!

Four 30-Minute Workouts

To go along with the four modes of this computer, HP asked bloggers participating in this campaign to create a post centered around the theme of four. Since I love sharing workouts with you guys, I figured I would share four new workouts you can complete at the gym (or at home, in some cases) on days when you only have time for a quick 30-minute workout. I hope at least one of them catches your eye!

30 Minute Treadmill Workout

This 30 minute treadmill workout plays around with various speeds to hold your interest and help fight treadmill boredom. After a quick 5-minute walking warm up, it’s time to pick up the pace and incorporate some intervals into the mix.

30 Minute Total Body Workout

If you want to hit every muscle group in your body but don’t have a lot of time to do it, this 30-minute total body workout targets the arms, legs and core and also includes some challenging bursts of cardio to keep your heart rate up and make you sweat. If you have a set of dumbbells, this is a workout you can also do at home. Begin with round one and complete as many rounds of the squat jumps, push up and leg lift crunches as possible for six minutes. Rest as needed before moving onto Round Two, Three, Four and Five!

Elliptical Workout

Sometimes the elliptical gets a bad rap for being an “easy” cardio workout, but by playing around with the inclines and resistance on the elliptical, you can walk away feeling like you got a great low-impact cardio workout! This 30-minute elliptical workout cranks up the intensity by simultaneously increasing inclines and resistance. Whether you pedal forward or backward is up to you, but I like to change it up every five minutes or so.

At Home Circuit

Of the four new workouts I’m sharing today, this one is probably my favorite! You don’t need any equipment (except for a jump rope, but you can pretend to jump rope for that particular exercise if you don’t have one), so this workout is a great at-home workout option. It is very, very fast paced and quickly progresses from one exercise to the next. As always, rest as needed and honor your body, but try to keep things moving as much as possible. It’s a sweaty one!

Disclaimer:This post is sponsored by Collectively on behalf of HP. HP is currently on tour with Meghan Trainor and will be creating a documentary with a sneak peek behind the scenes using the new HP X360. They’re bringing camera crews from Vancouver to Nashville and you can follow along by watching episodes or searching the hashtags #bendtherules #ThatBassTour. Thank you again for your continued support!!

]]>http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/26/four-30-minute-workouts/feed/31Winter Wonderlandhttp://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/26/winter-wonderland/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/26/winter-wonderland/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 14:05:53 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61425Check out the SNOW! A little before 9 p.m. last night, thick snowflakes began to fall and, if the weather forecast proved correct, I knew I’d be waking up to a white winter wonderland. Schools are closed today and when schools are closed, classes at my gym are canceled, which isn’t a bad thing because...

A little before 9 p.m. last night, thick snowflakes began to fall and, if the weather forecast proved correct, I knew I’d be waking up to a white winter wonderland. Schools are closed today and when schools are closed, classes at my gym are canceled, which isn’t a bad thing because I am in Raleigh right now! It looks like the sub I scheduled to take over my spin class got off easy today!

I made the 2.5 hour drive to Raleigh right when I got off work yesterday and though I hoped to pop in and say hi to you guys once I arrived, family fun took over the minute I arrived at my grandma’s place.

This quick trip to see Mimi popped up on my calendar when we found out she wouldn’t be able to make it to Sanibel for our annual family vacation this year. We still really wanted time with her and I’m so happy Mimi is feeling better and was up for some visitors!

My aunt organized a “picnic dinner” in my grandma’s room so everyone could come to her and spend time together. I loved chatting with my cousins, aunt and uncle and also had the chance to meet my cousin Andrew’s girlfriend whom I immediately loved.

We made turkey sandwiches and ate them with chips, fruit salad and pieces of Trader Joe’s dark chocolate for dessert. My aunt took over as master chef and our hot turkey sandwiches were made with Swiss cheese and cole slaw and as someone who doesn’t really like cole slaw, I was shocked by just how much I loved my sandwich! It was so, so good and I actually think the cole slaw made the sandwich. Go figure.

We stayed at my grandma’s place and hung out until close to 9 p.m., when we hugged her goodbye and drove back to my aunt’s house to spend the night. And now I’m here soaking up these incredible gorgeous snowy views. I feel like I should bust out my Christmas CDs or something!

Breakfast

The first part of breakfast this morning was enjoyed in my aunt’s kitchen. When we woke up, the power was out (hooray for a fully-charged laptop!!), so I cut up a pear and ate some blueberries to take the edge off my hunger.

Plus a small bowl of Lucky Charms!

My uncle is due back any minute and he ran out to pick up breakfast sandwiches for us, so we’re anxious for his arrival!

Once he arrives and we finish eating, we’ll head back out to my grandma’s place to spend some more time with Mimi. I hope you guys are staying warm today!

]]>http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/26/winter-wonderland/feed/47Go, Go, Go Josephhttp://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/25/go-go-go-joseph/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/25/go-go-go-joseph/#commentsWed, 25 Feb 2015 13:20:44 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61383Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is my all-time favorite musical. When I was a little girl living in Palatine, Illinois, my parents took me and my sister into the city to see the musical at the Chicago Theatre when Donny Osmond starred as Joseph. It was impossible to walk away from the show without...

Read More »]]>Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is my all-time favorite musical. When I was a little girl living in Palatine, Illinois, my parents took me and my sister into the city to see the musical at the Chicago Theatre when Donny Osmond starred as Joseph. It was impossible to walk away from the show without a smile on my face and the Joseph soundtrack is one I’ll still pop in every now and then, as it never fails to brighten my day.

When I saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was coming to Charlotte, I freaked out a little bit and told Ryan we had to go. The only other time Ryan has seen Joseph was when I convinced him to join me for a random community theatre production in a small town in Florida. Though I am a big-time fan of community theatre (we went all the time in Ocala and thought it was great!), this particular show left a lot to be desired, so I was excited Ryan would have the chance to see Joseph on a big stage with a full orchestra and all that jazz.

We were fortunate to easily find parking outside of the Belk Theater at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and arrived about 15 minutes before the show began at 7:30 p.m.

I cannot remember the last time I felt as giddy and exited to see a musical and as we took our seats, I flipped through the program and the name Diana DeGarmo caught my eye. She was playing the role of the narrator (my dream role if could ever actually sing) and I knew I recognized her name from somewhere, so I flipped to her biography page and saw that she finished second on American Idol a few years ago. How cool!

I then started reading other cast member bios and saw that Ace Young, the actor/singer playing the role of Joseph, was also an American Idol contestant who is now married to Diana. So awesome! How fun would it be to travel around from city to city performing in musicals with your spouse!? Ryan and I have a new goal in life…

Yesterday was actually our first time visiting the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and Ryan and I both commented on how wonderful the theatre was, as it seemed like there truly was not a bad seat in the house.

The balconies didn’t extend too far back and the theatre isn’t overly large, giving it a somewhat intimate feel for a city performing arts center.

As the musical began, I made myself promise not to sing every word aloud for the benefit of those around me, but it was really hard not to get into it and sing along! I love every single song in this musical so darn much.

The whole show was absolutely fantastic and Ryan and I chatted at intermission about the athleticism of the performers (the choreography was seriously intense!!) and the beautiful vocals of Diana DeGarmo. She was so charismatic and absolutely killed it as the narrator.

The show also incorporated a lot of humor and kept things lively and upbeat the whole time, so it passed by in a flash. Before I knew it, we were walking back to our car, trying our best not to sing, “Go, Go, Go Joseph, you know what they saaaaaay…”

It was such a fun night and I am still so happy I was able to see my favorite musical on stage again, performed in such a wonderful way. If you are a Joseph fan, or if you simply love energetic musicals, you can see the United States and United Kingdom tour dates for Joseph here. I promise you will love it! (And no, I have no affiliation with Joseph other than being a die-hard fan.)

And just because I’m all hopped up on Joseph love this morning, here are links to a few of my favorite songs from the musical just in case you want a little preview:

]]>http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/25/go-go-go-joseph/feed/98Gluten-Free Orange Chocolate Chip Muffinshttp://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/24/gluten-free-orange-chocolate-chip-muffins/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/24/gluten-free-orange-chocolate-chip-muffins/#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 20:16:00 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61369Back in January, I attended a fun and delicious cooking class at Atherton Market in Charlotte. Chef Alyssa created a Paleo menu for a group of about 20 enthusiastic wannabe chefs and everything we made that evening was delicious, though the two standouts for me were the coconut butter salmon and orange chocolate chip muffins....

Back in January, I attended a fun and delicious cooking class at Atherton Market in Charlotte. Chef Alyssa created a Paleo menu for a group of about 20 enthusiastic wannabe chefs and everything we made that evening was delicious, though the two standouts for me were the coconut butter salmon and orange chocolate chip muffins.

A bunch of you guys requested the recipes from that evening and after Chef Alyssa’s kind approval, I’m happy to be able to share the recipe for her mouth-watering gluten-free muffins on the blog today. (Note: The muffins are also Paleo-friendly without the chocolate chips.)

I must admit that I find most gluten-free baked goods a little too dense and not nearly as light and fluffy as typical baked foods, but these muffins break that stereotype and had the whole class raving! I think this may have been the first time I’ve baked with olive oil, and I’m wondering if that may be the key? I’m not sure, but whatever it is, these muffins are fantastic and would also make a great base recipe for gluten-free muffins that you can play around with and experiment with various additions like blueberries, dried cranberries and more.

3 ounces chocolate chips tossed in tapioca flour (this prevents the chocolate chips from falling to the bottom of the muffins)

pinch salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line the muffin tins.

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the next three ingredients.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and then fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon the muffin batter into the tins and bake for approximately 10 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If the toothpick comes out clean, the muffins are ready.

A quick tip from Chef Alyssa: Do not zest the orange all the way down to the white part of the peel. That will result in a bitter flavor. You just want to zest the very top layer of the orange for maximum orange flavor.

I hope you guys love these muffins as much as everyone from Chef Alyssa’s cooking class did back in January!

]]>http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/24/gluten-free-orange-chocolate-chip-muffins/feed/39Snowy Spinhttp://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/24/snowy-spin/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/24/snowy-spin/#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 14:03:21 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61356When the alarm went off at 5:20 a.m., Ryan and I woke up to beautiful snowflakes falling from the sky! The snow continued as I drove to the gym and by the time I was done teaching Spinning, it was still snowing outside and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. Since...

When the alarm went off at 5:20 a.m., Ryan and I woke up to beautiful snowflakes falling from the sky! The snow continued as I drove to the gym and by the time I was done teaching Spinning, it was still snowing outside and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon.

Since I missed the first snowfall of the year in Charlotte when I was out of town last week, I’m feeling quite giddy about the snow today! Most of the people who took my 6 a.m. Spinning class said they were “over winter” and more than ready for summer, but I couldn’t help but feel happy I didn’t miss all of the snowfall from our first winter in North Carolina. I think I must still be a little too excited to live in a state with seasons again!

After Spinning, I drove back home, ate a small bag of Bare coconut chips, took a hot shower and then headed into the kitchen to make breakfast.

(If you’re a serious coconut lover like me, I think you would love those coconut chips. They’re so, so good and perfectly crunchy! I find them at Whole Foods and Target.)

Breakfast this morning looked a lot like yesterday’s morning meal. Another egg white and oatmeal protein pancake, served with a side of roasted almonds and a hot mug of Celestial Seasonings red velvet rooibos tea.

Now it’s time for me to get ready for the day. I have a morning appointment to go to before driving back to the gym to work again (teaching is done for the day though!) and then Girls On The Run is back in full swing this afternoon!

Hope you have a fantastic Tuesday, my friends!

]]>http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/24/snowy-spin/feed/59Sweaty Start To The Weekhttp://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/23/sweaty-start-to-the-week/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/23/sweaty-start-to-the-week/#commentsMon, 23 Feb 2015 19:39:55 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61346My week kicked off the sweaty way with an early morning cycle class at the gym. I filled in for an instructor who needed a sub and had a decent bunch of familiar faces mixed with some new folks. I enjoy subbing classes from time to time because it’s such a great way for me...

Read More »]]>My week kicked off the sweaty way with an early morning cycle class at the gym.

I filled in for an instructor who needed a sub and had a decent bunch of familiar faces mixed with some new folks. I enjoy subbing classes from time to time because it’s such a great way for me to meet new people and expose them to my style of teaching. If they dig it, maybe they’ll come to one of my classes in the future, which is always fun to see!

It felt good to shake out my legs on the bike a little bit because I am still sore from the barbell strength and PiYo classes I taught on Friday. Apparently a week away from teaching and gym workouts killed my poor hamstrings and quads!

Breakfast

After class, I ate a Larabar and worked at the gym for a little bit before it was break time. I left the gym and swung by a local coffee shop for a caramel almond milk latte and drove home to make breakfast, type up my morning blog post and let Sadie out.

I made an egg white and oatmeal protein pancake (I added a bit of almond butter to the batter before cooking it in the skillet for some extra staying power) and topped the pancake with a drizzle of maple syrup. Served with a banana on the side!

Lunch

After my late breakfast and lovin’ on Sadie, I drove back to the gym to work until it was time for lunch. I had about 30 minutes for lunch and teamed up with a coworker for a quick drive to Subway.

I selected the 6-inch hot ham sub on honey oat with all the veggies except jalapeños and banana peppers. And a bag of chips on the side for some salty crunch!

During lunch, my coworker asked me whether or not I watched the Oscars last night and when I told her I missed it, she immediately brought up Lady Gaga’s performance on her phone and told me I had to watch it. Oh my gosh, she sounded fantastic.

I’m so envious of people who can really sing… I swear if I could belt it out like Lady Gaga, I would harass you guys with videos of myself singing show tunes every single day. And that would obviously lead to the slow death of Peanut Butter Fingers, but, um, I’d be able to sing like Lady Gaga, so I’ll make my money selling gazillions of albums.

Anyway, after listening to Lady Gaga and finishing our lunches, we headed back to the gym to work for a little while longer until I was done for the day and headed home to park my butt at the computer and chat with you guys. I have a freelance project due today that will take up the rest of my work day, but I hope you guys have a great Monday evening!

See ya in the morning!

]]>http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/23/sweaty-start-to-the-week/feed/44These Are a Few of My Favorite (Weekend) Thingshttp://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/23/these-are-a-few-of-my-favorite-weekend-things/
http://www.pbfingers.com/2015/02/23/these-are-a-few-of-my-favorite-weekend-things/#commentsMon, 23 Feb 2015 15:06:57 +0000http://www.pbfingers.com/?p=61334This weekend was relaxing, active and filled with quality time with Ryan and Sadie. In other words, it was just what I needed and wanted! After a week away from Charlotte, I was ready for some downtime with my two favorites. Here are a few of my favorite (weekend) things that just so happened to...

This weekend was relaxing, active and filled with quality time with Ryan and Sadie. In other words, it was just what I needed and wanted! After a week away from Charlotte, I was ready for some downtime with my two favorites.

Here are a few of my favorite (weekend) things that just so happened to pop up over the course of this weekend:

Extra Long Walks

Hiking is a favorite weekend activity of ours for sure, but this weekend icy trails kept us from visiting some of our favorite local spots. Instead, we decided to take Sadie on an extra long walk around the neighborhood on Saturday and Sunday. We ended up covering nearly seven miles on Saturday morning!

Sunday Brunch

When Ryan and I lived in Orlando, we loved joining our friends for brunch over the weekend. Our love for brunch fell to the wayside when we moved to Ocala since brunch hot spots seemed to be more limited, but our move to North Carolina brought our love for brunch back into the picture. On Sunday, we treated ourselves to a casual early afternoon brunch at the Galway Hooker, an Irish-themed pub that offers lots of delicious brunch staples every Sunday. Ryan and I kicked off brunch by sharing the oh-so-indulgent Dublin fries that were ridiculously tasty… and, yes, served with gravy. I think we both felt full after digging into the cheesy fries before our main courses even came out!

Lazy Couch Time

When Ryan and I have nothing on the calendar for the weekend, we love chilling on the couch and just relaxing. We spent the two hours before bed last night watching two of the final episodes from season two of House of Cards in preparation for the big season three debut this week. <— So excited!!! Ryan and I both got totally hooked on House of Cards last year and have been anxiously awaiting season three for months. We decided to re-watch the last few episodes of season two for a little refresher before we’re all in again on season three!

Pizza and/or Sushi

If we stay in on a weekend evening, Ryan and I often don’t feel like cooking, so sushi or pizza have become somewhat of a tradition. Last night, I picked up a few rolls to go from Publix and we both dug in while watching House of Cards. Is it lame that sushi + couch time = My happy place? Oh, and pizza + salads from Brooklyn South definitely happened on Friday night. The best!

Pure Barre

With my teaching schedule, I’m struggling to make it to as many barre classes as I used to since I’ve never been one to do the whole two-a-day workout thing. I like my 60-minutes-or-less workouts, which means on days I teach, I don’t usually take Pure Barre, too, so it felt great to get back in the studio on Saturday morning and feel the burn. Plus, I missed my barre buddies!

Question of the Morning

When you have a weekend with no plans on the agenda, what are some of your favorite simple things to do?